The Blue Brigade helped make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to donate to Youth Emergency Services and the Open Door Mission. These sandwiches will be used in outreach bags for homeless adults and youth.

Werner Logistics was named a 2016 Top 100 3PL Provider by Inbound Logistics magazine for its leadership in innovative solutions that produces logistics and supply chain excellence.

“As market innovators in all our logistics services, Werner Logistics is proud to be named a 2016 Top 100 3PL Provider,” said Matt Parry, senior vice president of Werner Logistics. “We believe this reflects our commitment to offering world-class logistics solutions to address many of the challenges our customers face.”

Each year, Inbound Logistics conducts personal interviews and online research to select the best third-party logistics providers, demonstrating excellence in optimizing transportation and logistics operations, and transformative solutions that drive integration across internal and external business processes.

This year’s selection of Top 100 3PL Providers was chosen among several hundred companies. The service providers selected offer the diverse operational capabilities and experience to meet readers’ unique supply chain and logistics needs. The complete list can be found in the July issue of Inbound Logistics and at inboundlogistics.com.

Werner Enterprises recently received the Extraordinary Employer Support Award, recognizing its sustained support to the Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces.

“Receiving this award is an honor that reflects our company’s commitment to veterans, and those currently serving in the National Guard and Reserves,” said Associate Vice President of Student and Government Recruiting Jim Morbach. “Employers are critical to fostering cultures of support and value for service members transitioning between military and civilian roles.”

Presented by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), this prestigious award is only attainable by prior recipients of the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award or the Pro Patria Award after demonstrating sustained support for three years.

Werner was recognized twice with the Pro Patria Award, the highest recognition bestowed by a state ESGR committee. Recipients demonstrate support to National Guard and Reserve members through leadership and practices, including adopting policies to make it easier for associates to participate in the National Guard and Reserves.

Recognizing supportive employers is vital to ESGR’s mission to strengthen relationships between service members and employers. As a military friendly employer, Werner has hired more than 7,800 veterans since 2011, and more than 400 veteran spouses.

Ten years ago, Werner Enterprises partnered with the Department of Labor and the Department of Veterans Affairs to start the industry’s first Professional Truck Driver Apprenticeship Program. The innovative work-based learning program allows veteran enrollees to use their GI Bill education benefits to invest in a future with Werner.

On July 6, 2016, Werner’s apprenticeship program celebrated its 5,000th veteran enrollee, Charles Doster, from Cordele, Georgia. Doster currently serves in the Georgia Army National Guard as a truck driver/supply specialist. He attended Roadmaster Drivers School in Jacksonville, Florida, before joining Werner.

“I spoke to a Werner recruiter at a job fair and when he told me about all the benefits that Werner has to offer, I was convinced it was the right company for me,” said Doster.

This apprenticeship is available for any driver with less than 24 months of experience and who is not a trainer or an owner operator. Eligible veterans, veteran spouses and veteran dependents can receive up to $22,555.20 tax-free of their GI Bill education benefits in addition to their normal pay for two years. Applicants do not have to be a veteran to participate in the program. Those who successfully complete the program receive a nationally recognized certification from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Members of Werner’s Recruiting Department represented the company at the Grand Opening Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of the new Roadmaster Drivers School at Werner’s Atlanta Terminal on June 22.

Attendees enjoyed an open house and giveaways to celebrate the opening of the new location. Werner’s recruiting team and Freedom 4 were on-site to speak with people interested in learning more about career opportunities with the company.

The new school’s proximity to major highways and trucking routes makes it an ideal location for students to gain real-world training. Roadmaster Atlanta is now operating weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, please contact the training facility at 678.217.865.

This apprenticeship is available to any driver with less than 24 months experience and who is not a trainer or an owner operator. The program includes 2 years of on-the-job training.

Eligible veterans, veteran spouses and veteran dependents can receive up to $22,555.20 tax-free of their GI Bill education benefits in addition to their normal pay for two years. Applicants do not have to be a veteran to participate in the program. Those who successfully complete the program receive a nationally recognized certification from the U.S. Department of Labor.

For more information, please call Werner’s Government Hiring Team at 877.351.7724 or email apprenticeship@werner.com.

Werner Enterprises professional driver Charley Endorf celebrated his 40th company anniversary with a surprise party at the corporate headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska.

Endorf joined Werner in 1976 as an owner operator. He is the only Werner driver to achieve the milestone of 5 million accident-free miles.

“You have to decide you want to implement integrity and character in what you do,” said Endorf. “Those are the things that have led me into this wonderful career that I have.”

In 2014, Endorf received the Citizen Driver Award, a program presented by TravelCenters of America/Petro that recognizes professional long-haul drivers who inspire public respect and admiration for the truck driving profession. In recognition of his achievements, a truck stop in York, Nebraska, is named the Charley Endorf York Stopping Center.

Endorf also is a Vietnam veteran. He was part of the Mobile Riverine Force for the 9th Infantry Division and was an M-60 machine gun carrier. He was promoted to E-5 Sergeant and was chosen as a squad leader. Selected for his combat service, Endorf participated in the Vietnam Combat Veterans Flight sponsored by the Omaha-based nonprofit Patriotic Productions in June 2016.

The Information Technology Services (ITS) Department held its first Innovation-Thon on June 3. This team-based event lets developers, designers and IT specialists come together to brainstorm solutions to any company problem or need. This competition eliminates formal process controls and stimulates creativity for company value and process solutions.

Teams of five or less compete for the following awards: Best in Show, Divergent Thinking, Innovation and Value. Participants are judged on a 100-point scale in three categories: solution or prototype developed, impact or benefit, and presentation.

The 2016 Best in Show Award went to Karthi Pragasam and Arjun Chandar Shankara Rao who developed a solution to connect applications to Werner’s phone system. Their idea was to integrate inbound calls with system information that’s presented to the user before a call is answered. This project proved how an integrated phone and user application would streamline and improve the experience for both the caller and user.

Read about all of the winning teams’ projects in the attachment below.

Five current Werner associates and one former associate recently competed in the 2016 USA National Championship hosted by the Cricket Council USA in Chicago. Werner associates played on the Simply Play Cricket team (North Central B Region/SPC).

Simply Play Cricket Team Highlights

Team was one of only three teams out of 12 that went unbeaten in group play.

Team qualified for the playoffs but lost in the quarterfinal to the team that won the championship.

SPC was the only team that bowled out the champions in their innings.

SPC restricted the champions to their lowest score in the tournament (105 all out).